An Account of a Fraught Night at the Picnic House
August 5, 2025
By Liz Welch
It was unseasonably hot on June 24, with temperatures surpassing 100 degrees—but the sweltering heat did not stop the PSFC General Meeting from taking place. Nor did it get in the way of scads of members lining up outside the Prospect Park Picnic House for what promised, based on the sight of protesters milling about, to be a contentious evening.
One woman, who gave only her first name as Sue, was holding a sign that said: “What other country are you boycotting?”
Her message referred to the ongoing and difficult debate around selling Israeli products at the Coop, which Sue had read about in local papers. “I was so upset,” she said. “I’m not even a member of the Coop, but I wanted to come show my support.”
Member Noah Potter held a sign that read: “Save the Coop from The Blame, Silence and Dehumanize Movement.” The “B”, “D” and “S” were drawn in purple to stand out among the otherwise blue letters—and to signify the “Boycott, Divest and Sanction” movement that is a global “Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality” according to www.bdsmovement.net.
As I waited to enter the Picnic House, somebody handed me a slip of paper that stated:
“Protect The Coop! Vote in the Board of Directors Elections!
Vote NO Dan Kaminsky, Taylor Pate, Brandon West.
Vote YES Serko Artinian, Lynn Husum, Elizabeth Tobier, Ralph Yozzo.”
This flyer, published by Coop 4 Unity, also advocated for other issues on the meeting agenda, including voting NO on hybrid meetings as well as voting for the two open positions for the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors has five seats and plays “a crucial role in running the Coop” according to a story in the March 11 Linewaiters’ Gazette. “Board members make their decisions based on the advice of Coop members who attend the monthly General Meetings.”
A few weeks before the June 2025 General Meeting, Joe Holtz, the General Manager and co-founder of the Coop who was set to retire from his duties on June 30, sent an email to all Coop members, asking everyone to vote in this election. While he made it clear that he was speaking only for himself, he wrote the following in an official capacity:
This election could shape the future of our Coop.
Here’s why: Two candidates running for the Board, Dan Kaminsky and Taylor Pate, are sponsored by an organized group within the Coop called PSFC Members for Palestine. If they win, five out of six Board seats will be held by people aligned with the BDS movement. That would give us a Board with a clear majority pushing to have the Coop take a side in one of the world’s most divisive conflicts.
Right now, the devastating crisis in Gaza and Israel is not only causing unimaginable human suffering—it’s also creating real division in our Coop. Some members feel silenced. Others feel unheard. Passionate views are turning into personal conflicts, and I’m deeply concerned about how this is affecting our community.
I don’t remember ever receiving such an email about Coop matters prior to Holtz’s message. Before I had even signed in for my reporting duty, I knew that this was not going to be a typical General Meeting. It was not the night to discuss whether or not to offer plastic bags in the produce aisle.
At the check-in table, I was handed a press pass and a paper ballot to vote for the Board Election. I decided to just take notes—and not participate in the vote. I would simply do my job, and report on what happened so that every person who reads this article can come to his or her own conclusion.
I took a seat in one of the rows of white folding chairs that filled the cavernous space. On the stage at the front of the room, four members of the PSFC Chair Committee sat at a table with a large screen behind them. As everyone waited for the seats to fill, a woman handed me a booklet titled “The Olive Press,” which was published by Park Slope Food Coop Members for Palestine (PSFC4Pal), which has been calling for boycotts on Israeli products at the Coop dating back to 2012, according to their website. Their 12-page publication included a 10-page interview with Amir, a farmer in Palestine who talked about how his village Khusa’a had been destroyed by Israeli forces, and the majority of his family members killed.
On the back page, the PSFC4Pal states its request for “[a] Coop-wide boycott of Israeli products,” explaining that “by contributing to the Israeli economy and to normalization of that government’s actions, our purchase of such goods currently makes the PSFC complicit in Israel’s apartheid system and anti-Palestinian genocide.”
I was only able to read that back page before the meeting officially began. At 7:10pm, Chair Committee member David Moss welcomed everyone and then got down to the first order of business: to meet the candidates running to fill two spots on the Board of Directors. One member, Imani Q’Ryn, who had served as Vice President, was vacating her spot. Another Board member, Brandon West, was seeking re-election after his three-year run. There were two board openings possible and six new candidates, in addition to West.
“Before I had even signed in for my reporting duty, I knew that this was not going to be a typical General Meeting.”
All PSFC members had the opportunity to read the bios of those running online prior to the meeting. They were able to vote online.
This evening was the last possible moment for people to vote in person—the majority of Coop members had already voted online prior to the meeting—and for those paper ballots to be counted in order to determine the winners. It was also a chance to hear the candidates speak and field questions.
The chairperson gave clear instructions:
- Candidates will have up to one minute to make a presentation.
- After their statement is read, the members of the audience can ask questions.
- Each candidate will have three minutes to respond to audience questions.
Serko Artinian was the first to speak. He stepped to the microphone and explained that his last name rhymes with “Armenian,” which also aptly described his background. His manner went from jovial to serious as he explained that he was running for “the survival of the Coop,” adding, “we need to band together and put our differences aside. We need to work together. Each member is equal to another.”
Lynn Husum was the next candidate listed, but she was unable to be present that evening. Her personal statement, which can be found in the March 11 issue of the Gazette, was read in her absence. A member for seven years, and a business owner for 21 years, she focused on her experience balancing “efficiency with ethical business practices.” A regular volunteer at CHiPS, she added that the Park Slope Food Coop “is more than just a place to shop—it is a model of what is possible when people come together with shared values. I love being a part of this cooperative world, and I would be honored to help guide its future.”
Dan Kaminsky was up next. Born and raised in Brooklyn, the social worker, longtime community organizer, and guide for Scott’s Pizza Tours started off with his personal position on the proposed boycott.
“I do support a boycott,” he said, while adding that he would not let his leanings sway his commitment to represent all members if elected to the board. “I would support whichever way the members vote.”
Taylor Pate was unable to attend and asked Kaminsky to read her candidacy statement in her absence, including that she was “proud to be endorsed by PSFC for Palestine” and that she also “strongly believed that board members should look like” her. A member of several food coops in NYC, Tate first joined Greene Hill Food Coop and then joined Central Brooklyn Food Coop because she “was interested in organizing with other Black folks and building a grocery store that was built for those that have historically lacked access to fresh food in central Brooklyn.”
She joined the Coop three years ago and was committed to representing the voice of “other Coop members.”
Elizabeth Tobier was next in line to share her reasons for wanting to join the Board. A member since 1990, she had attended General Meetings off and on since 1998, and began regularly showing up in 2020. She said she was committed to representing the “full view of the wider membership,” adding that Board members “are expected to follow the lead of their members.”
Brandon West, the Board member who was running for re-election, has been a member since 2009, a squad leader and the current Board President. “I’m not endorsed by any groups,” he said, adding that, “I think we have some governance problems” and that we “need to have this debate and to figure out how to have this conversation in a clear way.”
The last candidate on the roster was Ralph Yozzo, who was not present as he was working the polls for the New York City democratic primary election that evening. His statement was read by a woman named Barbara Mazor. It was brief. A member for two decades, Yozzo wrote that he had worked in many capacities at the Coop, and that the walking shift “was his favorite.”
His statement ended with, “As a director I would mostly listen to the membership and it would be my honor to serve. I would also promise to only serve the [three year] minimum term to give everyone a chance.”
Before the floor opened to people with questions for the candidates, the Chairperson reminded the audience of the voting procedure, which included checking boxes on the ballot. Next to each candidate’s name were checkboxes for yes, no and abstain.
The rules were again stated clearly by the Chairperson:
- In order to be eligible, the candidates have more yeses than nos.
- When there are more candidates than spots available, the person receiving the most “yes” votes wins.
The first audience member question, from someone who identified himself as “M,” was around governance, which all candidates who were present answered briefly.
The next question came from a member named Richard who first asked rhetorically, “Why are we shopping at the Coop? For fair prices and great selection.” Then he added, “What does a political discourse have to do with it? Why do they need to inflict their political beliefs on us?”
Several people in the audience responded with loud claps.
Kaminsky was the first candidate to respond.
“Is the Coop a political entity? I would say yes,” he said. “We generally engage with our community—we’re part of a larger ecosystem.” He paused before adding, “In a democracy we are not only going to agree. That’s okay! That is healthy. Allow the democratic process to unfold.”
This statement was followed by more clapping.
Brandon West was the next candidate to address the question. “I agree with everything that has been said,” he said. “This Coop has struggled with change, and we need a process for that conversation.”
The third question was from a member named Jonathan who said this was his first time attending a General Meeting. “I‘ve heard that these meetings get contentious,” he said. “As a member who just goes to shop at the Coop, what is the worst-case scenario?”
This led to another hot topic: hybrid meetings.
Noah Potter, no longer holding his sign, approached the stage to ask his question. “I’m hearing a lot of discussion about being cooperative—and the inability to hold hybrid meetings,” he said. “I have reached out to Dan [Kaminsky] and other members about the boycott. Dan, are you willing to reach out and talk to me?”
He was getting emotional, prompting the Chairperson to call the equivalent of a time out.
This did not stop Kaminsky from responding: “You and I have talked, and I found it really helpful! You reached out to my personal email.”
The Chairperson once again called “Time!” as Kaminsky only had 15 seconds to speak. Potter shouted: “I reached out to your LinkedIn profile!”
The meeting attendees were then asked to fill in their ballots. They would be counted by the end of the night.
A gasp rippled throughout the crowd before a woman stood up and shouted: “I’m a disability-rights attorney – it is unacceptable!”
As the voting process began, Holtz was called to the stage to introduce the auditors who would then share their financial audit with members. It was the last time he would do so in his role as General Manager. As he took the microphone, loud applause erupted throughout the audience.
“Next Monday is my last day at the Coop,” he said, which explained the warm reception. He shifted to his agenda item, which was about the Coop’s financial audit. “This is a golden opportunity to ask questions about the finances,” he explained.
He next invited two auditors from the firm Cornick, Garber & Sandler to give their report.
Salvatore Vicari thanked Joe for another successful audit. “My second year presenting in person,” and made a joke about not getting the same applause as Joe. Vicari then went through the report, which was shared on the large screen on stage, and made it clear that the Coop was financially healthy. When he got to the statement of cash flows from operating activities, Sal interjected that it was his “favorite page.”
Following his presentation, audience members were invited to ask questions. The first was: “Our income dropped from last year to this year. Why?”
Vicari explained that the change in income was due to several factors, including rising operating expenses, along with wages, and an increase in prices. “The Coop is not going to lose a lot of money or make a lot of money,” he added. “It’s a coop.”
For the more specific questions, Vicari’s colleague Zanna Masko took to the stage.
“The Coop was very cautious in investing,” she explained. “Eventually there was an increase in interest rates. So the Coop decided to invest in CDs.”
Another question was about a line in the audit called “member investment redeemable.” There is a non-refundable member fee for $25. The second is a refundable investment for $100.
Holtz explained: “If a member leaves the Coop, the $100 they paid when they joined is refundable or redeemable.” However, not everyone asks for that money back—and instead they remain part of the PSFC—just not as working members.
This led to another related question: John Gordon asked, “I saw on page 7 that 40% of the Coop members are eligible for shopping? Does that mean of the 16,000 Coop members, only 40% are shopping?”
Holtz thanked John for the observation and explained that the first page of the Coop’s bylaws answers another related question: ‘Who owns the Coop?’
“Every person who has a member equity investment owns the Coop,” Holtz explained. “There are over 30,000 people who have these investments. Just because you are an owner does not mean you have the right to participate in the activities. Say someone was a member in 1995, and they moved away, and they did not take their $100, they are still an owner. What is 40% of X equals 16,000? That means 40,000 people own the Coop—but only 40% can shop.”
Alyce Barr asked, “Why did the legal fees triple this year over the last year?”
Vicari responded, “The legal fees went from $11,776 to $33,970 due to a couple of lawsuits—so there were legal fees in defending the Coop. We did not think it was unwarranted.”
Masko added: “We are not allowed to disclose the legal specifics—especially about employees and litigation.” Then she continued, “That is the question, is it more tense this year than last year? How do we protect the Coop from increasing tension?”
This got a wave of laughs and applause throughout the audience and prompted the motion to accept the financial report. The Chairperson asked audience members to raise their hands in favor. There were not any “no” votes.
As everyone waited for the board candidacy ballots to be counted, the Chairman moved to the next contentious item on the agenda: the vote around hybrid meetings.
He had a sealed envelope, which contained the results from a vote which needed a 2/3 majority in order to pass.
The chairman opened the envelope and read:
“Total votes cast 6,504.”
Again, applause erupted throughout the crowd.
- 4,321 voted YES or 66.43%
- 2,183 voted NO or 33.56%
- 66.67% needed to pass.
“It needed to be a 2/3 majority,” the Chairperson continued. “The referendum did not pass.”
A gasp rippled throughout the crowd. A woman stood up and shouted: “I’m a disability-rights attorney—it is unacceptable!”
Many people nodded in agreement and the Chairperson continued with the agenda, which included an update on facilities. Elinoar Astrinsky gave her report. “I am facilities manager,” she started. “The gods of refrigeration have not shined on the Coop.”
She went on to explain that an air conditioning valve needed to be replaced in the office, and that another air handler needed a new part. Also, the staff refrigerator died! That was all upstairs. Meanwhile, shoppers may have noticed that the grab and go case where the sushi and Court Grocers sandwiches are stocked has been out of order. A new part was ordered from China, she explained, “with extra tariffs on it.”
“For now, members can find sushi in the cheese and butter case,” Elinoar added, “And the salads and sandwiches are beneath the mushrooms.”
Also shared was the reason for the Out of Stock signs seen throughout the Coop. “32% of our groceries coming from United Natural Foods, Inc. They experienced a cyber attack which meant they could not take orders, receive deliveries or dispatch trucks.”
This meant the Coop’s incredible and amazing buyers—many of whom were at the meeting—turned to their local relationships they have built over decades.
“We have less exposure because they are doing a great job, and pivot from one vendor to another,” Elinoar added, giving the buyers a shout-out.
Another round of applause.
As the meeting was coming to an end, attendees learned about new hires and departing staff. Receiving Coordinator Maggie Chan left to pursue her studies, and Receiving Coordinator Lisa Hidem was retiring after working at the Coop for 20 years. “She makes everything accurate, especially aisle 6,” Elinoar said. “She has strong opinions and high standards. She is our bread buyer and pie buyer too!”
Three new people have been hired as receiving coordinators: Garret Mukai, Gabriel Concha, and Marlen Tapia Jimenez.
Elinoar wrapped up with a big thank you to Holtz for his 50 years of service. “We are going to miss you. [Working with you has been an] experience of a lifetime. I am getting emotional.”
She then welcomed incoming General Manager Joe Szladek. “He will lead the way and we will give you lots of support.”
Finally, the election results were shared. Brandon West and Lynn Husum were elected to the Board.
Holtz nominated West as President.
Tess Brown-Lavoie was nominated as Vice President.
Elizabeth Tobier was nominated for Secretary.
Terry Meyers, a Bookkeeping Coordinator, nominated Szladek to be the new Treasurer.
What had been a very long and emotional meeting was not yet over. It was time for the open forum, where each member is given 90 seconds to speak.
One member said, “I don’t understand how the [hybrid meeting] referendum was subjected to a supermajority requirement.” Another member said that June 30 was is the deadline to participate in the Coop’s demographic survey.
Lois Wilcken, who works with the Plastics Reduction Committee, shared that there will be a vote on whether to create that committee and asked the Agenda committee to place them on the July agenda.
A member identified as Gabriel said, “Given ways of tabulating the vote, is a recount on the hybrid votes possible?”
There was another murmur throughout the crowd, as that vote was so shockingly close.
The Chairperson spoke to clarify, saying, “The chairing committee did a count and said it was short by 15 votes.”
The woman who spoke out when the vote was first shared was now on the stage. “I’m here as a member of the Coop and representing the rights of disabled children,” she said. “I want to name people left out of this decision.” She went on to name disabled people, elderly folks, night shift workers, single moms, homebound members, and more. “The lack of accessible accommodations for disabled people is egregious.”
Another member questioned the protocol, for both the board elections and the referendum.
General Coordinator Ann Herpel explained, “I have been working with Membership Coordinators and a member of the IT department on these two votes. We use Simply Voting. One ballot was for the board, the other was for the referendum. People who vote in a board of directors elections are 30,000 [all of the members, including those who quit the Coop but whose original Coop investments are still on file]. The referendum is for active shopping members [what most of us consider current members].”
It was well past 9 p.m., and the crowd seemed weary.
Finally, there was a motion to table the hybrid vote decision until there was a recount. The board agreed to hold a recount of the paper ballots cast in the referendum vote. The results of the recount would be reported at the July GM. And the non-hybrid meeting was officially adjourned at 9:40 p.m. It was still hot out.
From left to right: Board member Keyian Vafai, Board President Brandon West, General Manager and Treasurer Joe Szladek, and Board member Tim Hospodar
Liz Welch is a journalist, memoirist, and book collaborator.